One of the limitations of speed on a personal computer are the signal leads or traces on the motherboard that connect the microprocessor to memory devices such as random access memory. The length of the traces directly affects the speed at which signals can be exchanged between the microprocessor and the memory. Therefore, computer designers locate the memory as close to the microprocessor as possible within design constraints imposed by other components and the configuration of standard motherboards. As the complexity of personal computers increases and the size of the computer chassis decreases, the layout of the motherboard becomes a critical design limitation because of the clearances required between components on the motherboard, and between the motherboard and other integrated circuit boards in the chassis.
One solution to minimize the length of the traces has been to package the memory and the microprocessor together in the same assembly. However, doing so without radically modifying the configuration of the motherboard requires changing the die sizes of either the memory, the microprocessor, or both.
Therefore, there is a need for a combined microprocessor/memory assembly that minimizes the length of the traces without requiring changes to the die sizes of the microprocessor, or the memory, or to the configuration of the motherboard.